A NUFFIELD scholar from York believes there is a big future for precision farming.

Clive Blacker, who has a 2,000-acre arable farm near the city, will present his findings on the use of satellite-based technologies in the USA and Australia to Precision Farming Event at Newark Showground on Wednesday.

Mr Blacker will give his first public report on how farmers in those countries use satellite mapping, GPS and automated control systems to improve farm profitability and environmental issues.

"The Europeans are well ahead in the use of these technologies for agronomic purposes, but the Australians, in particular, are well ahead of us in the hardware available and, more importantly, on how to make a profit from using precision farming as a management tool," he said.

He was particularly impressed by the use of technology to reduce future environmental problems.

"Soil compaction is kept to an absolute minimum using GPS to guide machinery repeatedly over the same wheel marks, thus minimising the impact to a defined area within each field," said Mr Blacker. "We are very complacent about managing our soils in this country, so could learn a lot ."

He sees a growing future for precision farming techniques in the UK, especially having seen their economic justification in countries where there are not farm subsidies.

"The key applications I foresee will be much wider than agronomy and could include flood and pollution management. " said Mr Blacker.